Snow blanketed lawns and dusted streets across the area in the region's first snowfall of 2013.

VDOT is reporting a few traffic delays on main roads. A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 64 West with fatalities near Lee Hall this morning was causing westbound traffic to be rerouted to Exit 247 Yorktown Road and Exit 250 at Fort Eustis Boulevard.

Snowfall began Thursday night just after 10 p.m. in most of Hampton Roads, according to the National Weather Service. The snow fell in large flakes through most of the Peninsula. Temperatures dipped to the 30s.

The Peninsula got between a half-inch and 2 inches of snow overnight when rain switched over to the wintry weather, said Scott Minnick, a meteorologist with National Weather Service in Wakefield

The areas between Lee Hall in Newport News and Williamsburg saw the most accumulation with snowfalls totaling between an inch and two inches, Minnick said .

He said Hampton and areas further south in Newport News saw about between a half-inch and an inch. Many Southside localities saw even less, Minnick said.

"The previous day's rain warmed the ground, which really made it hard for the snow to accumulate," he said.

He said local waters were also too warm for the region to get heavy amounts of snow.

The Virginia Department of Transportation and many municipalities across the Peninsula spent Thursday preparing local for the inclement weather.

Hampton's public works department monitored forecast and had its street operations staff at work at 10 p.m. Thursday. The department brought on more staff 5 a.m. Friday, department deputy director Lynn Allsbrook said in a news release.

In preparation for the snowfall, local crews are readying equipment and measuring the temperature of the roads to determine when to pre-treat them with the anti-freezing mixtures, said Lauren Hansen, a spokeswoman the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT's early road treatment Thursday like Hampton's was stalled because of the day's rainfall. Hansen said the wet weather made it impossible for crews to put down the pre-treatment mixtures to prevent the roads from freezing.

"Normally we would pre-treat roads now with a solution to stop roads from freezing, but if we put down the abrasive mixture, the rain would wash it away," she said.

Hansen is urging residents to use caution when driving in the snow.

She said residents should increase their breaking distance while driving but she's encouraging residents not to be on the road too early or too late if they can avoid it.

"If snow is falling and it's sleeting, the roads will be slippery," Hansen said.

AAA is offering the following snow driving tips:

•Accelerate and decelerate slowly.

•Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads.

•The following distance of three to four seconds on normal dry pavement should be increased to eight to 10 seconds.

•Know your brakes. Whether you have anti-lock brakes or not, the best way to stop is "threshold" breaking: Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.

•Stay home. If you really don't have to go out, don't. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can.